And We Continue On
by HimekawaRie
Summary: He's always been our pillar. Even now... Even after all that has happened... He's still here... And we intend to keep him here.
1. Chapter 1

_My first attempt in writing Prince of Tennis fic. Bear with me. I don't own Prince Of Tennis. I just like playing with the cuties. hehehehe_

**And We Continue On**

**Echizen Ryoma: On The Top Of The World**

I sat by the bed, my eyes trained over the still figure on it. He's too pale, too thin, too still, but I guess that's expected. There were blankets on him, and the heater is on; I could only hope that it'd keep him warm. I carefully brushed his messy hair, judging his temperature while I was doing so. Still warm. It's just so weird that just ten minutes before I rushed out to get another blanket because he said that he's cold. Kaasan said that it's the fever, but I could tell that already.

I sighed, letting my mind fell back to the glorious days when we spent our days playing together on the four blocks tennis courts. Those were the good old days, where I would play all renshu with all of my heart, as would my teammates, and ran the laps he assigned as fast as we could, not to win, but to not be the last. After all, Sadaharu-senpai's concoctions that he himself dared to call 'juice' were the most fearful thing ever existed.

I wished that I could play all out with him again, like those days at the Haruno Clay Court. Or that I could see him playing all out before my eyes, like when he played against Atobe on that match that we called 'the never ending tiebreak'.

Never again.

Nowadays, I'm one of the people who freak out whenever he holds a tennis racquet for a moment too long. Well, me and almost everybody, that was. Not that he doesn't know his limits; in fact, he knows them only too well. The mother-hen attitude was a side effect of seeing your captain hooked up to machines that beeped and hissed so many years before.

Everyone says it's a miracle he survived this long.

I could still remember the frantic packing and the restless flight I had after I received the phone call from a crying Sakuno, begging me to return to Japan quickly, because Buchou got an accident. I didn't know what accident, I didn't ask how bad it was, I simply packed everything I need, while Oyaji got tickets for us, and then we were on our way, Oyaji, Kaasan, Ryoga, Kevin, and I. How Kevin managed to tag along I could never be sure, but he did. And then the stressing drive from Narita to the hospital, full of traffic jam here and there, that I was tempted to run all the way to the hospital; if it wasn't raining cats and dogs, I would've done so.

And then into the hospital lounge we went, and I was ambushed by a crying Eiji-senpai. Shuichiro-senpai was calmer, although his face was so pale as he tugged Eiji-senpai off me. It was Momo-senpai who told me what happened, though.

It was a car accident that made buchou ended up in the hospital's ICU. He was lucky to be alive, his father, his mother, and his grandfather didn't make it. I almost laughed at that time, if only because of the commonness of the accident. But it wasn't common.

It wasn't, because it was our captain in that ICU room. It was our captain there, fighting for his life.

For two whole weeks he kept on slipping in and out of our reach. For two whole weeks, the Seigaku Regulars were like camping in the hospital's waiting room. Two whole weeks of going to school from hospital and returning to hospital after tennis practice. And when he was stabilized, then we realized that, no, it's never going to be the same anymore.

Whatever that punched through his chest did not hurt his heart, but it had created a serious injury to his lungs, to the point of almost collapsing. That's what the doctors told us. How, I don't know; I didn't, and still don't, crave for details. Therefore, even a slight tiredness can cause him to stop breathing. I said that it's impossible, I mean, what's the connection of tiredness and buchou stopped breathing? Oyaji smacked me on the head for that. He asked me if I breathe fast, or heavily, after long practice or match, or when I'm tired or surprised of even excited about anything.

Of course I do.

And it clicked.

Oh… so that's it.

But Eiji-senpai went bawling yet again, saying that he didn't understand.

"It's… Eiji… when we're tired, we breathe faster to replace the oxygen, but with the condition of Tezuka's lungs now, it can't, well… pump as fast as that, and eventually it might collapse …"

"Can we please pass the explanation?"

Shusuke-senpai's words were sharp, yet hollow. His eyes were wide opened, and he looked as if sickened. I couldn't blame him. Shuichirou-senpai's details cut my heart, too.

Two days after that, buchou woke up.

And it went downhill fast.

The shock of loosing both parents and grandfather took a toll on him. And then, of course, no tennis for him, not anymore. Tennis is far too demanding for his lungs. Add a bunch of annoying relatives, and if it weren't for these good doctors, we would've lost him again.

Relatives that, after saying their condolences and get-well-soon words, asked about the house and wealth that his parents left him. Relatives that dared to ask if buchou's going to stay there alone, but it wouldn't be good for him, so they'd love to stay there to take care of him, too, after all, he's their nephew/cousin/whatever, and still so young and sickly, too, so it's only normal, right?

BULLSHIT!

After the first relatives related 'shock', as we named the situation whenever buchou needed the oxygen tube, we never strayed far from him whenever he had visitors, always keeping in mind to have at least one of us by his side should anyone start being annoying again, so I happened to witness firsthand of Shuichiro-senpai's anger, and the bouquet of roses that Eiji-senpai coldly gave back to those annoying relatives before Kaoru-senpai kicked them out.

A day after that, Momo-senpai and I found Taka-senpai, Sadaharu-senpai, Inoue-san, and Shiba-san peeking on Shusuke-senpai who was hugging buchou while the latter cried in his arms. Ryuzaki-sensei later said that another relative of his made an advertisement to sell his house.

I was furious when I got home, that I cursed at every single unlucky thing, yelled at Oyaji who was blocking the way, almost kicked Karupin, and bad-mouthed my cousin for making an American-style dinner.

Kaasan went up to my room later that night, and got me to talk to her. That's when I poured all of my anger and frustration, not to mention tears, out.

And Kaasan said that she'd take care of things. I didn't know what she meant, but I saw this glint in her eyes that shows only when she means business, and I shut up.

The next afternoon, Oyaji entered buchou's hospital room with papers in his hands, shoved them under buchou's nose, ordered buchou to sign them (which buchou did without even reading the papers, bewildered as he was, well, we all were), and announced that, congratulations, Ryoga and I had just gained a new brother.

The papers were adoption papers.

Ryoga was chortling so hard at my, and my new brother's, and our friends', faces. We must've made quite an amusing sight, all open-mouthed and wide-eyed.

Right that moment, Kaasan entered and told us that she had just bought buchou's house, and listed it under buchou's name, with Oyaji as its guardian until he's of legal age.

I never thought how lucky I was to have Oyaji and Kaasan as my parents, but I sure thanked God then.

Buchou, though, gave quite a vehement refusal, saying that, no, he didn't want to be a bother to anyone else, and no, it's quite alright, he could manage on his own, and no, please, we're all so kind, but he'd only bring trouble to our life, so can we please cancel the adoption, Nanjiroh-san, and Rinko-san, doumo arigato gozaimashita for the house, he'd find a way to pay it back to her, promise.

At least I think it went along that line.

Oyaji huffed and gave the papers to Ryoga, ordering him to give the papers to Inoue-san, he'd know what to do with them, and Ryoga actually skipped out of the room, grinning all the way. The prospect of having another brother to tease must've made his day. Kaasan stopped buchou's rants by clasping her hands on his and told him to take a deep breath, addressing him as son.

It was the three Fuji siblings and Yuudai-buchou who put a stop on buchou's dissent, though. It went like this.

"Ne, Tezuka, if you don't want The Echizen to adopt you, we can do so, right, Neesan?"

"Hai, Shusuke, you're right. I'll go talk to our parents now, if it's needed to. I'm sure they'll agree. What do you say, Yuuta?"

"I don't mind. Tezuka-san is definitely more stable that Aniki is, he can be a good niisan for me."

"Yoshi. What do you say, Tezuka? Would you rather be my brother than Echizen's? After all, we're all practically brothers-in-arms, all of us, so this adoption thingies is only for legalities, right?"

"Hey, wait a minute, Fuji-kun, I don't mind having an otouto, too! What do you say, Tezuka-kun? How does Yamato Kunimitsu sounds to you?"

I had a feeling that the rest of us regulars were going to ask about adopting buchou to their parents that night, and let it slip out.

Either way, he's staying with one of us.

Eight to love. Game and match. We win.

So I gained another brother. One by the name Tezuka Kunimitsu. Oyaji insisted that he keeps his own family name. I didn't think buchou would change it anyway.

Buchou began fighting his illness vigorously after that. I guess he realized that there were still people who cared about him, and true to Tezuka Kunimitsu's nature, he simply wouldn't let us down.

So, two months later, he returned to my house. Kevin returned to America, but not before extracting a promise from me that I'd meet him at U.S. Open the next time. Three months after that, we Seigaku Regulars moved to buchou's house, which is BIG, and we all got our own rooms. The master bedroom and the room that buchou's grandfather used, though, were kept empty.

That's how we started living under the same roof. Not in the same school anymore, there were senior-high students among us then, but still in the affiliated Seishun Senior High School, still in the Seishun Gakuen complex. Ryoga decided to stay in Japan and entered the same school, and also the same club (he stays with Oyaji and Kaasan, though.)

Buchou still joined the tennis club in senior high, under the command of Yamato-buchou, but with his condition, he couldn't play, so he ended up as our manager. And, boy, was he good at it.

Years of watching how Sadaharu-senpai takes data, months of looking at us practicing and unable to join us, his time in coaching us before the U.S-Japan Friendly Tournament, his own exasperation and anxiety of not being able to participate in any upcoming matches, and a collaboration with Yamato-buchou and our Data-Tennis Master suddenly gave birth to the most extensive, impressive, and effective training menu ever. The senior-high team, and us in the junior-high team, adopted it immediately, and yes, we won the National, the first time again in a long time for the senior-high team, and the second time in a row for us junior high-team. Too bad Inui-jiru and its many descendants such as Penal-Tea, Aozu, Akazu, and the newest one then, Kurozu, were included in the menu, too.

I myself keep on entering as many junior international tournaments as my school schedule allows, and had somehow won most of them. I also entered many senior ones. Samurai Junior, the media named me. It's probably Inoue-san who first gave me that title. Whenever I lose a game, Oyaji would scoff and remind me how he won 37 games straight when he went international. Kaasan would come to my rescue then, reminding him that I went international far younger than he did. But I have my own reason to feel bad when I'm defeated.

Before Seigaku, my reason for tennis was to beat Oyaji. After I joined Seigaku, my goal changed, I want to be better, and I had another person I need to beat. During U.S Open, I stole a time and returned to Japan, played against buchou, and finally won. Then, in the same U.S Open, I gave my next opponent a def win due to my frantic flight back to Japan, right after I 'spectacularly defeat Michael Thornbridge in such a short time' as the media wrote it. How, I had no idea. I was so furious and scared at that time, that Ryoga said, if it's something out of Dragon Ball or Saint Seiya or Rurouni Kenshin anime, I would've splattered the court with my opponent's blood. (By the way, I have no idea who my next opponent was at that time. The lucky guy.)

Don't blame me. It's not my fault I've just got that fateful phone call from Sakuno at that time.

I have another goal after that. A goal that buchou unknowingly instilled in me one night when he got yet another cold and had to stay bedridden for a few days (he's so prone to cold and flu after the accident, it almost sad that he actually has his coat everywhere, even if it looks good on him).

I was also sitting by his bedside at that time. Nanako-chan had just managed to get buchou to drink his medicine (he hates his medicine, saying that they tastes like Inui-jiru), and I was laughing at him, who was sulking. The others were in the dining room, probably squabbling over the food Kaasan brought, and there were only us there, when suddenly he spoke.

"Ne, Ryoma?"

"Nani desu ka, buchou?"

I could never change the way I call him, although us Regulars were already on first-name basis since we're 'holed up' together, as Yuuta would've said.

"You're really going pro, ne?"

"You know I am."

"Aa… tell me how does it look from up there, eh?"

"Ha?"

"When you're standing on top of the world, I mean. Tell me about the view from up there."

And that's my goal now. To stand on top of the world. And whenever I do, I'd 'look down to see the view'.

That's where the problem lies.

That's why I was sitting by his bedside again, right after I came home after winning yet another gold to add up to what Oyaji called 'the winnings room', watching over his sleeping form.

"Ne, about what you asked before," I said softly, hoping that he'd hear me, after all, I couldn't seem to say it out right when someone's actually listening, "about the view from the top of the world?"

He moved a little, and I could pretend that he's really listening.

"It's beautiful for the first time, and the second time… but after many times, I realized that it's too blur."

I stopped. Was I making any sense?

"That's why I keep on coming back down, I guess. I miss the view when I'm down on earth."

The school's simple ranking tournament. The Nationals. The international tournaments. Through all the years I've made my wins, Oyaji still can win against me, although, yes, I can win against him, now. And although I won against buchou once, I can still lose against Shusuke-senpai in training match, and didn't buchou defeat him?

Hadn't the accident occurred, they would've been standing on top of the world themselves.

There's no way I could make sure if I had really surpass buchou now. In reality, I have. But only because he's not playing anymore.

Sadaharu-senpai told me once, that the pace a tennis player will reach its peak height eventually, but it won't last forever. That's why I have to evolve. Because I won't reach my utmost height if I don't practice, and even when I do, I won't stay in my best form forever, so I have to evolve all the time. The others encourage me endlessly, I am their golden child, they said. After all, although all of us still play regularly, only four of us actually dedicate ourselves to really go pro.

But I always find myself going back to Seigaku.

It's like fate. Because everything began here, I always have to return here.

"I hope you don't mind, I mean, I keep on going away from time to time…"

I wish he could be with me.

"Oh, that's stupid, of course you don't mind."

I only wish that I could share my view more realistically.

"But I'll get to the top again, and maybe next time, I can describe it better, Ku-Niichan."

"Ku-Niichan?"

Buchou opened his eyes and gave me his cute half smile, or at least that's what Tomoka named the expression where buchou would tilt his head a bit, his lips would curve a little and his golden brown eyes would sparkle like stars.

"Hai. Kunimitsu-niichan. Ku-Niichan. That's a cute nick-name, ne?" I asked calmly, trying to hide my embarrassment at being caught saying sweet things. I knew my cheeks were flushed, though.

"We've been living together for how long, and you've just given me a nickname now?"

"I like buchou, it's a good nickname, but I think Ku-Niichan's cute, too."

"For a second I thought you said Kuni-chan. That's how Okaasan always called me," He said, referring to his birth mother.

"Oh…" I slumped, deflated. He never said much about his deceased family, but I can tell that he loves them very much. I'm not like Eiji-senpai or Shusuke-senpai, though, who would sometimes asks buchou about his beloved blood family. I always think that any reminder of that will hurt him, and I don't want to hurt him, so…

He smiled that oh-so-annoying-smile-of-his-because-no-it's-not-really-a-smile-but-from-him-it's-a-smile and reached for my hand, "Don't give me that face, Ryoma, you know you can give me whatever nickname you want… Besides, I kinda like it."

I immediately brightened, ""Good. But don't expect me to call you that in front of people."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he yawned, "damn, those medicines make me so sleepy…"

"There's a reason for that," I sighed, "Get more sleep, Ku-Niichan."

"Hai-hai…" he sighed, "Congratulations on winning again, Ryoma-chan."

I smirked, "Doumo, and don't you dare call me that in front of everyone. After all, I'm in high school now."

"I'm older than you, and how does Shusuke call me?"

"That's Shusuke-senpai. He's like four years old."

"He is," he laughed, a sound I love so much, after all, before he became my brother, he's like this abominable snowman who's only expression was that poker face of his. After the accident, we were so afraid that he'd shatter, that we treated him like a piece of fragile glass.

It was Oyaji who decided that, no, his new son was not a brittle glass ornament, and handed a grass mower to him one morning and ordered him to mow the lawn.

I sighed, "Just don't play all cuddly with me in front of people, kay? I might not stand the embarrassment."

"I won't. And thanks for sharing the view with me."

The brown eyes that looked at me warmly sent a content feeling coursing through my veins.

This is what I enjoyed the most about winnings. Not the medals, the trophy, or the money.

It's the proud look everyone gives me when I return home. Everyone's, but especially his.

"Always, buchou. Always."

TBC 

_Author's Note:_

_Thanks for reading. This story will continue quite slowly, but I intend to make the POV from each regular and some others. I ignored the OVA version (National Championship) because I wrote this before I watched them, so Ryoma didn't join the Seigaku at Zenkoku. R/R greatly appreciated!_

_THR_


	2. Chapter 2

_My first attempt in writing Prince of Tennis fic. Bear with me. I don't own Prince Of Tennis. I just like playing with the cuties. hehehehe_

**And We Continue On**

**Oishi Shuichirou: Being Mother**

He's sick again.

I could only sigh as I left him to Ryoma's care. Lately, as in the late few years, I have developed a certain dislike to rain and strong wind, as they have the tendency of making Kunimitsu sick. Even when he has his jacket on, which is almost always, except on summer, he still catches cold easily. Not that I blame him, it's not his fault, but with his physical condition, or to be precise, his lungs condition, even a slight flu can cause trouble. I know he disliked my mother-hen tendency, but since I acted like that most of the time, he simply couldn't stop me from being 'the mother of Seigaku' as Momo calls me.

It's also not good that he has this annoying habit of keeping things to himself, including telltale of sickness. If it weren't for Eiji's keen sight and Shusuke's almost empathic ability, some of the first colds would've gone unnoticed. It's quite alright if it'd just go away by itself, but usually, it doesn't. After the third case of flu (a month after we all lived together) and an hour lecture from Rinko-san and Yumiko-neesan, though, he gave up his tough guy act.

And that's when we got the shock of our lives.

Right after he realized that there's no way he could keep his stern buchou countenance, he simply gave up his mature act, and actually acted his age. And suddenly, we all realized that, yes, he's our own age, no, he's not anywhere older than us, and yes, he's capable of being a spoiled brat. No one would've guessed how much begging and threatening we had to do to make him drinks his medicine. He simple hates them with passion.

It's still a laughing matter to us whenever we remembered the day when Momo stormed into the kitchen, swearing harshly that he'd never-ever-ever again take the job of remembering a sick buchou to drink his medicine.

Shusuke had simply smiled and went to Kunimitsu's room, leaving the task of calming Momo to Eiji and me.

That night, when we gathered at the dining room to study, well, all of us but Kunimitsu, who was confined in his room due to a fever, Shusuke suddenly chuckled.

"Honestly, Momo, I have no idea what all the fuss this afternoon was about," our resident tensai said, "Kuni-chan drank his medicine when I told him to."

"Well, he didn't when I told him to," Momo sulked, "He said it tasted like Inui-jiru."

"Really?"

"I wouldn't know. It's not my medicine, although he did tell me to taste it if I don't believe him."

"Why didn't you?" asked Eiji.

"Like I said, it's his medicine, not mine, and I'm not the one who's sick."

"So you left him and stormed into the kitchen?" Taka-san asked.

"No…" Momo sighed, "Actually, I lost my patience and shoved the bottle and spoon to him, but he simply looked at me, laid down, curled under his blanket, and pretended to sleep."

I choked, "Kunimitsu did?"

"Yeah. Who would've thought that he could be so childish, eh?"

"When Yumiko-neesan lectured him yesterday, I honestly didn't think that it's the kind of reaction we'd get…" Sadaharu smiled, "Ii data."

"Well, Shusuke-senpai managed to get him to drink it," Kaoru said, looking at our tensai, who laughed.

"That's because Shusuke-senpai told buchou to either take his medicine on his own or have him administer the medicine mouth to mouth," Ryoma said in his usual bored voice, although his eyes twinkled amusedly.

"Oh…"

The room was silent for a while, and then various snickers and giggles were heard.

"Why didn't you think of it, Momo-senpai?"

"Nani?!" Momo choked, "You want me to kiss buchou?"

"Kiss Kuni-chan?" Shusuke chortled, "Goodness, of course not. It's giving medicine mouth to mouth. It's almost like CPR, Momo."

"Don't mind Aniki, minna," Yuuta, who was coming over to visit Kunimitsu, was persuaded to stay with us for dinner, and finally decided to hang out for a while, shook his head, "his logic only works on himself. Although I do feel sorry for Tezuka-san…"

"I assume that he used the same technique to persuade you to take your medicines when you were young, Yuuta-kun?" Sadaharu asked, and when Yuuta nodded resignedly, he smiled again, "Ii data."

"Mou… don't you get tired of collecting data all the time, Haru-chan?" Eiji whined, "But you know, if the medicine actually tastes like Inui-jiru, then we have to ask the doctor to change Mitsu-chan's medicine! I mean, I wouldn't want to use Inui-jiru-taste toothpaste, too. It'll make me even more sick!"

Were we one of those manga or anime characters, we would've had those sweat drops on our heads.

I actually tasted the yellowy syrup medicine after that, and I couldn't agree more, it did taste like Inui-jiru, and I did ask the doctor to change the medicine. She only shook her head, though, and said that changing one medicine would result her changing all of Kunimitsu's medicine, and it might complicate matters.

I think I understand why Shusuke snapped at me when I tried to explain Kunimitsu's lungs problem to Eiji that day at the hospital. The explanation of what might've happened if the medicines clash against each other and what it might do to Kunimitsu's health made me sick, too. She also explained to me, in great details, mind you, what would happen if Kunimitsu didn't take his medicine, what would happened of the cold mutated into flu, then to pneumonia, and so on and so forth. In the end, the doctor said that the medicine she prescribed were the ones that work best for Kunimitsu, and he'd just have to get used to the taste.

Meaning he'd have to take them again. And he does. Winter takes a toll on him, and in summer, too dry weather makes dust everywhere, which's not good for him, either.

Kunimitsu eventually gave up and took his medicine obediently whenever he was prescribed with them, although Shusuke still have to threaten to 'kiss' him every now and then. Personally, I think it's become an ongoing game between those two. He still hates his medicines, though. I understand why. Not only does it taste like hell, it also symbolizes his weakness.

Ryoma had just returned home with yet another gold, and he showed up all smiling in front of our door just two hours before. When Shusuke told him that Kunimitsu caught flu again, his smile disappeared and was replaced with a frown, his face darkened. Taka-san tried to calm him by saying that it's only a mild case flu with a slight fever, but Ryoma would have none of it and dumped his bags in front of his door before storming toward his buchou's room.

We all know better.

Even a small case of flu can cause Kunimitsu to stop breathing. A single stress can have the same result. Sato-sensei, one of his doctors, told us once that not only do we have to take care of his physical health; we also have to care for his mental health. Any mental stress, no matter how slight, can be a danger. We've seen it before, when those damned relatives bothered him so much at the hospital at that time. We've seen how hard it was for him to breathe when under stress.

Tell me, how do you keep one Tezuka Kunimitsu from thinking and feeling too hard about things?

He's the captain, for crying out loud! He's Mr. Control, Mr. Straight Face, Mr. Charismatic, Mr. Cool-Calm-Collected! His main obsession when he was still in the first grade of Junior High was to win The Nationals! He's this responsible leader, this remarkable tennis player, this detached yet concerned person. He's used to be in charge of everything. He's not dependant on anyone. He's the captain who led us by example, not words. And then, suddenly he couldn't run the laps he usually assigned us to run. And when he couldn't, he abruptly stopped ordering those laps.

Eiji was the first to comment about how, and I quote, "Tezuka does not feel like Tezuka anymore." It was before we all moved in together, and Kunimitsu still stayed with The Echizen. I had noticed that while he always watched us practice at school or the temple's tennis court, he never seemed to stay long. He'd simply disappear to God Knows where (well, actually he'd go straight home and went to study in his room, according to Nanako-chan), but it's just so weird, but then I remembered the times Kunimitsu disappeared from practice after the match with Atobe, and he returned, didn't he? So I wasn't worried.

It was Nanjiroh-san who one day suddenly told us Seigaku Regulars to start paying attention to Kunimitsu.

"Megalomaniac syndrome," the eccentric tennis pro said to us, "He's used to be needed, remember? Even when he's in German, you'd contact him everyday, asking him when he'd come back. Now, though, you don't. You simply go on without him. It's not a surprise he felt left behind."

Ryoma protested vehemently. "Oyaji! Whoever said we're leaving buchou!? We're only doing what we always do, what he'd want us to do, anyway. Wasn't that what we did when he went to German? Besides, he always comes back; tennis is his life, isn't it? That's why he chose to leave us and went to German before! And he came back to us again, didn't he?"

"Exactly. He came back with a hope to play tennis with you kids. And now he CAN'T! Don't you see the difference, seishonen? He went to German to heal his injured shoulder, so he can help you to win The National. He did that. But his lungs won't heal like his shoulder did. He can't play anymore, and how can he be a captain of a tennis club if he can't play? How can he be a tennis ace when he can't even play a match?"

None of us said anything.

It was Eiji who said what I thought.

"I miss him ordering laps."

There were random snickers and giggles, but they were all laced with bitterness.

Finally Fuji raised his head and looked at the older Echizen, "What do we do, then? We need him. I know we do. He's a part of us. But we can't simply all quit tennis in a gesture of friendship, he'd hate it. At the same time, I can't help feeling that watching us play hurt him, too. And we also have to remember, PEOPLE TALK! Everyone knows of Tezuka Kunimitsu, and everyone knows that he's not playing anymore."

Nanjiroh-san looked at us, as if determining whether we really care of his new son or not, and then he sighed.

"Let me talk to Ryuzaki and Yuudai-kun. Maybe they'd come up with something."

Strangely, the answer to the problem didn't come from any of them. It came from Taichi Dan.

"Well, why don't Tezuka-san be the manager, then?" the short boy from Yamabuki Junior High asked Kawamura when we met him, Sengoku, and Akutsu at Kawamura-sushi and he accidentally heard Eiji talking about Kunimitsu's 'withdrawal syndrome' (Kunimitsu had taken his disappearing act again, leaving us to consult each other at the restaurant). "I mean, when I feel that I couldn't play because I'm short, I'm quite happy by being the manager! That way, I can support the team, even when I'm not playing!"

We all looked at each other and grinned.

Ryoma talked to his father, who laughed crazily and gave us a thumb up. Nanjiroh-san talked to Ryuzaki-sensei, who talked to Yuudai-buchou, who suddenly showed up at The Echizen's doorstep with a thick black folder and dumped it on Kunimitsu's hands, telling him to fill it as best as he could, fill whatever needs to be filled later on after he got the information, and, if it's possible, add up whatever needed to be added.

It was a completely blank database of every members of the Seigaku Senior High Tennis Club. Momo, who's the new captain for the Junior High Team, looked at the folder and asked Kunimitsu if he'd mind making the same one for the junior-high team.

Thus began Kunimitsu's days as the manager of both clubs. Because of the newly combined sport area, the Senior High and Junior High teams often have their practice side by side, and soon Kunimitsu could be seen walking around from one court to another, taking data, almost like what Inui does. The Data Tennis Master, generous as he was, happily shared his database, and the two could be seen talking side by side while watching a match.

Nanjiroh-san was right. Slowly, the Tezuka Kunimitsu we always know and love came up to the surface again. Still as cool as ever, he started carrying a small recorder and a blue notebook everywhere, and could be seen talking to the small microphone, recording all the data he could catch, and writing them down later on. Soon, there's a box for tennis record cassettes in his room. When he had to buy another box, every other week Sadaharu would help him change the sound files to computer and CD formats, and then Shiba-san gave him her digital recorder, saying that she'd just gotten a new one.

Still, he stayed at the background, never really coming up to the surface, and we started to lose patience and sanity. Until one day, Yuudai-buchou came, grabbed Momo, and gleefully showed him a thick blue file folder.

Momo scanned the folder for a while, and grinned madly.

That day, when the practice was over, Ryuzaki-sensei gathered all of us, and proudly presented the new training menu, made by none other than the one and only Tezuka Kunimitsu.

There was a glint of relief in Kunimitsu's eyes when Yuudai-buchou and Momo declared that they'd take the new menu. Ryuzaki-sensei was smiling as she looked at Kunimitsu, almost like a mother who'd just seen her beloved long lost son walked pass her gate and into her arms again.

In a sense, I guess it's true.

The training menu was the most extensive one I've ever seen, that Kaoru commented that Shonan Jyousei's Hanamura-sensei would love to get her hands on it. The menu was continually revised, too, some things would be added here and there, and other things would be altered every now and then. Kunimitsu, attentive as he was, started to make small books to record each members' development, especially the regulars and promising members'. All in all, Sadaharu commented that Kunimitsu made the menu a lot better than he could ever did.

The laps we all missed came back again, although now he issued them quietly for warm-ups and not punishments, and usually through the two captains and not out of his own mouth. Even though Yuudai-buchou and Momo let him do whatever he wanted with all of us, he respected their figures as captains and never stepped on them. None of our seniors dared to mock him or talk behind his back, especially after Ryoma twist-served one of them after he 'bad-mouthed buchou,' as our that-time-still-short tennis ace said. Then Momo dunk-smashed another, Kaoru snaked another one in another mix training, and after a bottle of Advanced Penal-Tea was somehow spilled into the senior-high tennis club's changing room's water tank, no doubt a cooperation between Shusuke, Sadaharu, and probably Eiji, no one dared to question Kunimitsu's place in the team. Kunimitsu raised an eyebrow when he heard about the Inui-juice incident and asked Yuudai-buchou to give the three culprits extra laps, which they did happily. I guess that's why Shusuke was chosen as captain on our second and third years. None of the seniors in our second year dared to oppose Shusuke. The 'Let's not be careless' was also heard at one time or another, usually after briefing. We never get tired of hearing it.

It's just like Kunimitsu, isn't it? But another thing changed, too. Now that he can't play anymore, he started to stress the importance of teamwork more than ever. Although tennis is not like soccer where you play as a whole in the same field, he said, in a sense, it's still the same, and we have to know each and every one of our teammates high and low aspects. Through his diligent work, we suddenly created more possible doubles pairs than we could ever did before. Even Ryoma, whom we deemed impossible to play doubles at all, finally could be paired to Shusuke, Momo, and even Yuuta in a practice at the temple.

Tezuka Kunimitsu is basically a hard worker. Therefore, when he puts his mind on something, he'd simply strive to do so better than anyone else.

But still, there are times when his body betrayed him, and he'd have to stop doing what he's supposed to do. When the weather's too cold, when it's raining, when it's too hot, when he catches cold or flu and develops fever, he would have to give up his blue book and tape recorder, and huddled in his room alone. At those times, we always had a hard time deciding what to do. If we 'baby him', as Rinko-san said, he'd hate it. If we leave him on his own, well, Nanjiroh-san reminded us what happen the last time he felt left alone.

Yumiko-neesan gave us the answer for that.

"Be yourself," she said while spreading her tarot cards one night when we all gathered after dinner. Kunimitsu had already slept after Shusuke told him to drink his dreaded medicine. "After all, you know him the best, and he knows you, too. He trusts you more thank he trusts anyone now. After all, like what Shusuke once said, you're all practically brothers, aren't you?"

So I fret over him every now and then, remind him to take his jacket with him, stop him when I think he forces himself too far (he always forces himself, so we can't stop him from doing so). Eiji whines when he thinks Kunimitsu's tiring himself, Momo forces him to eat when he's under the weather, Kaoru actually cooks for him from time to time, Taka-san, in his subtle way of saying things, carefully reels Kunimitsu to a slower pace whenever he's gone too fast, Ryoma and his trademark mada mada dane becomes the pushing factor when Kunimitsu's feeling down, Sadaharu listens to his troubles, and Shusuke, good old Shusuke, meddles and pesters and teases and supports Kunimitsu to no end in his own unique Shusuke-ish way.

Kunimitsu was to slow accept his inability to be 'as independent as he was'. Actually, I think the first sign of it was the day when he asked whether anyone of us would like to stay with him at his house, which is still a happy memory for me. At first, I thought that was because he'd get too lonely in a house filled with too much memories. I'm glad we didn't refuse the offer; it would be devastating for him (and all of us) if we did. After that day, slowly, day by day, he started to open up and finally accepted our help, letting us see who's inside the stern buchou mask of his, clumsily letting us see who he really is. When I mentioned this to Momo, he said that he's glad he was the first one who saw a glimpse of the real Kunimitsu. I guess he talked about the refusal to drink the medicine that provoked Shusuke's 'kiss Kuni-chan' threat.

But he doesn't become dependant on us; he's still walking on his own, although now, he's not walking in front of us anymore. Now, we all walk as a group, in a rotated places, sometimes in front, sometimes at the back, sometimes in the middle, but always ready to reach out to help one another in times of need. And Kunimitsu, no matter what he said, makes a good niisan for our younger members. So in the end, we're a solid team.

One night, a year ago, Eiji asked me what major I'd take when I go to university. I said that I want to be a doctor. Kunimitsu looked at me and gave a small smile then. I caught his eyes, and I saw gratitude in them.

I smiled back.

"You'd make a good doctor," Taka-san said to me.

Aa… I'll be a good doctor. I have my reasons, after all.

No matter how hard it is, all I need is to remember that night when I helplessly waited in the hospital's waiting room with Eiji crying on my chest, and I'd stand upright again.

"Shuichirou-senpai?" I heard a voice behind me and looked around to see Ryoma standing behind my chair.

"Hai, Ryoma?"

"Buchou's asleep," the younger man reported, "I noticed that the medicine's changed."

"Aa… I talked to Murakami-sensei, and she agreed to change the Inui-jiru-ish one. The new one has a better composition. It's still new, though, but it's good."

"That's nice. Thanks, senpai. But it seems to make him sleepier than before…" he was cut by a huge yawn.

"Why don't you get some rest, Ryoma? You must be tired." I put down my book and looked at him, who nodded and yawned again.

"I think I will. Oyasumi, senpai."

"Oyasumi, Ryoma. Oh, you didn't leave Kunimitsu's window open, did you?"

"I didn't even open it, senpai," Ryoma shook his head, "But you're free to recheck everything."

He knows I always do.

"Hai, I will in a few minutes. Thanks for staying with him. Have a nice dream."

"Uisu."

Ryoma left, and I stood up to check on my patient, even when it's not really necessary. Ryoma can get highly overprotective when it comes to Kunimitsu.

But I can always check. After all, aren't I the mother of Seigaku?

TBC 

_Author's Note:_

_Thanks for still reading . This story still continue quite slowly, and I still intend to make the POV from each regular and some others. R/R greatly appreciated!_

_THR_


	3. Chapter 3

_My first attempt in writing Prince of Tennis fic. Bear with me. I don't own Prince Of Tennis. I just like playing with the cuties. hehehehe_

**And We Continue On**

**Kikumaru Eiji: Bitter Bounce**

"Eiji-senpai."

"Going to sleep, Ochibi-chan?"

"Hai. I'm so tired…"

"I bet you do. It's a nonstop flight, ne?"

"Aa… Oyasumi."

"Oyasumi!"

The door closed, and my grin vanished. Ochibi looked so tired, but he still made the time to sit by Mitsu-chan..

Maa… Mitsu-chan _is_ his favorite buchou.

I carefully opened the door to Mitsu-chan's room and walked inside. The heater was on, the window closed, and Mitsu-chan's already asleep, cocooned in his blankets, half hugging the huge blue teddy bear I gave him as a 'housewarming gift' when we all moved in with him.

There's a reason for that teddy. One, it's huge, soft, plushy, and warm. It suits well as a bed warmer (I still don't get why Momo choked when I said that). Two, Mitsu-chan's room is too empty, so Teddy will keep him company when we can't. He should never feel lonely. Three, the teddy is a tennis teddy! I fell in love with it when I saw it. Actually, I was thinking of buying it for myself, but then Mitsu-chan's lonely figure as he left the tennis court entered my mind, and I bought it for him instead.

The door opened wider, and Oishi entered.

"He looks comfy," my first doubles partner said softly.

"Hm-mm," I nodded, "let's kill the light and let him sleep, nya?"

"Aa…" Oishi watched as I turned on the small tennis-ball lamp beside the bed, and he turned off the big white lamp on the ceiling as we went out.

"Aren't you going to sleep, Oishi?"

"Later," Oishi shook his head, "There's a book I need to read."

"Mou… another medical book? Oishi's too diligent, nya…"

Oishi laughed, "Sonna… Actually, Murakami-sensei agreed to change the yellow Inui-jiru, and I still need to know more about the new medicine. It seems to make Kunimitsu more sleepy than the previous one, which means it can't be used when he has classes."

"Class? He's not suppose to have classes when he's sick!"

"Three days max, Eiji, that's what his lecturer says, remember? Three days max for absents caused by illness, except when the student's hospitalized."

"He should drop that class."

"Agreed. Why don't you talk to him?"

"I'll have Shu-chan to do it for us."

"Mm… I think so… that lecturer is such a killer… But I really have to check on the new medicine's composition and report this to Murakami-sensei."

"Maa, as long as it doesn't taste like Inui-jiru…"

"Kunimitsu didn't complain, but you should ask him."

"I will. I'm going to bed, Oishi, I have a morning class tomorrow! Oyasumi!"

"Oyasumi, Eiji!"

And I bounced to my room, three rooms away from Mitsu-chan's and directly beside Oishi's.

As I closed the door, I sighed. The air was cold; I need to turn on the heater…

I switched on the light, and the first things that I saw in the newly bright room are the photos on the wall.

Shu-chan, our resident photographer, had taken many pictures before, but the tennis team pictures are, in a way, sacred. The first one we had was the one when we went to see the sunrise on the mountain. Then the National photo. Ochibi's not in it, though, he's at America then. The third picture was taken at the Echizen's temple tennis court, after the accident that almost cost us Mitsu-chan's life. Kevin-kun took that picture, and Ryuzaki-sensei, Yuudai-buchou, Inoue-san, Shiba-san, Nanjiroh-san, Rinko-san, Ryoga, Yumiko-neesan, and Yuu-chan were in it too. Then we have the junior-senior-high joined team photo, taken by Shiba-san when we were in the first grade of senior high, and Mitsu-chan's just joined the tennis club as manager. The picture was a formal picture, with all of us in our tennis jersey on the tennis court (although none of us were wearing regular jersey, after all, no regulars were already chosen then) with Ryuzaki-sensei and the two Headmasters. Then came the Regulars photo, also taken by Shiba-san a few months later, picturing the Regulars of the Junior and Senior High Team for the first match we had that year, Mitsu-chan as our manager, and Ryuzaki-sensei, our coach. We all had our racquets, but Ochibi, Kaoru, and Momo were not holding their own. Ochibi asked Mitsu-chan to give him one of his three racquets when he was again chosen as a regular for the Junior High team. Mitsu-chan happily obliged, and gave his other two racquets to Momo and Kaoru, too. They constantly use those racquets, now, only changing back to their own when it's deemed necessary. In return, Ochibi asked the old man at Haritatsu to find another racquet for Mitsu-chan, one which is lighter yet has a better impact bracer. That's the one Mitsu-chan uses now, although he doesn't use it as often as he'd like. After that picture, Shiba-san always takes pictures on every newly formed Regular team with our Coach and Manager, and those pictures were in the small frames on the table. The one she took at our third year at Senior High, though, I put in a big frame on the wall. It's the same formation as the one we had when we were in our third year at Junior High. Momo, Kaoru-chan, Ochibi (who's having his growth spurt at that time), Taka-san, Oishi, Shu-chan, Haru-chan, Mitsu-chan, and me, with Ryuzaki-sensei, too.

There's another picture that I put beside my bed in a medium size frame, the one taken at the housewarming party. There were so many people that it almost didn't fit in the camera frame. Even the guys from the other clubs were invited. It was one of the liveliest pictures I have.

Under that picture, in the small cupboard, is where I put the photo albums I have. I usually flip through them before bed or in my spare times. Shu-chan took most of them. He's a good photographer, and he's studying to be a pro one now.

I collapsed on my bed and hugged my own teddy bear.

It's good that finally there's a medicine that can replace the yellow Inui-jiru. Poor Mitsu-chan always has a hard time drinking it, I'm surprised he hasn't puked his medicine out after all these years. Actually, almost all of his medicines taste bad, (I know, I secretly tasted them), but that one's the worst. But Oishi said that it made him sleepier… Maa… I don't know if it's good or bad, but I do know that when you're sick, you should rest much.

Which reminds me to ask Mitsu-chan to watch me practice when he's well enough. When Haru-chan works with him, they can give us better input than when they work solo, and now that Ochibi-chan, who's not Chibi anymore, is home, Momo and I can play doubles against him and Shu-chan.

Sometimes I think about that. My doubles partner, I mean. What it would be if Oishi tried going pro, too. But Oishi has his reasons, and I know what it is. That's why I can't begrudge him on his decision not to enter the pro circle with me.

It doesn't mean I can't complain, though.

Having Momo as a doubles partner is not such a bad idea, really. When Mitsu-chan gave the idea (with Haru-chan backing him up), I almost didn't believe my ears. But Mitsu-chan's right, Momo makes a good doubles partner for me; he supports the power I'm lack of. While Oishi let me play as I'd like, Momo stressed more on perfect choreography. Kaoru-chan once said that watching me playing with Momo reminds him of a two-person dance, where both of us are visible. While playing with Oishi, people tended to keep their eyes on me only, leaving Oishi to melt in the background and be forgotten, thus making shocks when he suddenly 'appeared' and backed me up.

With Momo, I can really understand what it means to play doubles, mostly because Momo needs my help to win and I need his, while I think Oishi could take the championship on his own if he wants to. I know he's that good. But the other part that makes me matched with Momo is because both of us had appointed ourselves to be Mitsu-chan's constant naggers.

I would whine to no end when I see Mitsu-chan forcing himself too much. Momo would back me up. Momo would do anything, including running around the house if necessary, to make Mitsu eat his food when he's not feeling well, because Oishi's "But Kunimitsu, you must eat something!" usually doesn't work, especially when Shu-chan's not around. I would back him up. Just like we always pesters on Ochibi, we do the same thing to Mitsu-chan when he's not taking care of himself, although mainly it's for our own benefit. If I may borrow Yumiko-neesan's words, the aura in the house is always not good whenever Mitsu-chan's sick.

We always know our limits, though. When Mitsu-chan's really annoyed, which means that he's worse than we thought, we'd back down and let the professionals deal with him. Professional means a duet between Ochibi and Shu-chan. Shu-chan would make Mitsu-chan sit like a little boy and eat his food quietly under his cold glare. Yumiko-neechan taught him that, he said. Yuu-chan said that's what she does whenever he or his brother refuses to eat. Ochibi would give Mitsu-chan his patented bored glare and our resident 'refrigerator', as Momo once said, would quietly slip under his blankets to sleep.

I really envy those two. They have the power to make miracles.

I could still remember receiving the phone call from Oishi that rainy night. I had just finished brushing my teeth and was about to go to bed when my cell phone suddenly beeped.

"Hoi, Oishi! Nanda?"

"Eiji…"

"Oishi? Oishi, what's wrong?"

"It's… Eiji…"

"Oishi? Oishi, what is it?"

"It's Tezuka, Eiji…"

And I didn't ask anything else. I asked where I could meet him, and I changed into my street clothes and bullied my brother to take me to the hospital. Oishi and Shu-chan were already there.

I couldn't hold back my tears when I heard about his parents and grandpa, and I couldn't shake the crunching feeling in my chest and stomach when I heard that Mitsu-chan's still in I.C.U.

Sakuno-chan called Ochibi despite our protest. We didn't want to worry Ochibi, but we all realized that maybe there wouldn't be another chance for Ochibi to meet his captain. So when Ochibi came, I hugged him, crying. He looked bewildered and apprehensive. Nanjiroh-san, Rinko-san, Ryoga-kun, and that boy Kevin also came.

I'm so glad that we had Nanjiroh-san and Rinko-san at that time. It was their idea to adopt Mitsu-chan, and it was the best idea ever. They saved Mitsu-chan from drowning in stress and sorrow that day; Ryuzaki-sensei, Inoue-san, and Shiba-san helped with the legalities.

The sickening crunching feeling that I felt when Mitsu-chan suddenly gasped for breath in my arms after one of his stupid relatives came to see him still stays even after years. I remember screaming for Oishi. I wasn't the one who could stay calm in the face of horror; it took me years to perfect that art of staying calm and confident like Haru-chan or Shu-chan, and having Mitsu-chan leaning weakly on me could scared almost about anybody, that I was bawling in Oishi's arms when the doctors put Mitsu-chan on oxygen.

It was Ochibi who made me bravely endured the terror of medical training.

"I have to be ready to perform medical action anytime, so start teaching me," he said to Murakami-sensei a week after Mitsu-chan was adopted into his family, and we joined up with him, so the petite doctor readily taught us what she could.

I guess that's what draws Oishi into medical practices. Not his own family of doctors background, but the same helplessness I felt when we saw Mitsu-chan battling for his life.

I still feel guilty when I think about the days when Mitsu-chan withdrew from us and tennis. But I'm glad of my slip of tongue near Yamabuki's Taichi-kun. It gave us the idea of making Mitsu-chan our manager, and he's really good at that, even better than Haru-chan. He's the one who came up with the so many possible doubles pair. He's the one who could set Ochibi to play doubles well. He corrected our mistakes and turned our weaknesses into strength in ways we never thought possible. Although he can't play, but whenever we play on the court, it's as if he's playing with us. But that'd make singles into doubles and doubles into triples, and it's not fair for our opponents, isn't it?

I'm straying again…

I think that's why Hyoutei's Atobe and Rikkaidai's Sanada are also good in playing doubles together. Their rivalry in winning over Mitsu-chan brought them together, and when they realized that, no, they won't be able to win against Mitsu-chan, after all, he's not playing anymore, they released their frustration in almost the same way Ochibi did, by playing harder than ever, trying to reach the place Mitsu-chan would never be able to reach now.

Being on top of the world, Nanjiroh-san once said.

I also still remember the day Mitsu-chan asked us to accompany him in this house. I was so happy that time.

A knock on the door made me sit up.

"Eiji-senpai?"

"Momo? Come in."

Momo opened the door and stepped in, his face tight.

I sighed. When Momo's depressed, usually it's Ochibi's duty to make him his own cheery self again. But since Ochibi's asleep, I guess the duty falls to me, especially because I could feel that Oishi had tried, and failed.

"Hoi?" I asked.

Momo shook his head and plopped down on the carpet, "I feel miserable."

"Understatement of the century," I sighed, "Momo … it's not your faul, nya…t."

"Keep on saying that and maybe I will believe it someday."

"It's not your fault, _it's_ not your fault, it's _not_ your fault, it's not _your_ fault, it's not your _fault_, _it's not_ your fault, it's not your fault," I smiled and ruffled his hair.

Momo looked at me.

"Oh, my, the big brimming eyes. You really feel miserable, aren't you?"

"Eiji-senpai…" Momo groaned, "I can't believe I'm so stupid!"

"No you're not!" I protested, "Nya…Momo, will you stop blaming yourself."

"But it was so obvious! I can't believe I didn't notice that he had a fever already!"

"Maa… you know Mitsu-chan. Besides, it's not your fault that you had to study that night."

It was Momo's turn to buy groceries that day, but he came late from his cram school, he had an English test the next day, and we've ran out of some basic kitchen necessities, so Mitsu-chan volunteered to go shopping instead. Little did we know that he's already under the weather at that time. Ochibi's not home, Shu-chan's visiting his sister, Oishi had a late class, I myself also had a late class, Taka-san's at his family's sushi restaurant, Kaoru-chan was training somewhere with Haru-chan. It also didn't help that it rained heavily that evening, and Mitsu-chan went home soaking wet. He was okay, though, no coughs or sniffles, so we thought that it's quite alright, although Oishi did fret a little.

The signs of fever appeared two days later. Shu-chan was the one who first noticed that Mitsu-chan was not 'cheery', as he usually says.

It went on like always, though, that morning. We had breakfast together and went on our own ways, the third graders to the school, and us college freshmen to Todai. We went to the same university, albeit having different majors; I take sport, Oishi studies to be a doctor, Haru-chan takes pharmacy, Shu-chan takes photography, Taka-san takes accounting, and Mitsu-chan takes education majors (how he decided to be a teacher I'd never understand).

It was lunch when one of Mitsu-chan's classmate came to us (we always have lunch together, the five of us) and told us that Mitsu-chan went home earlier after his English lecturer told him to see a doctor. Oishi, Haru-chan, and Shu-chan went home, while Taka-san and I went to look for the English lecturer, Kuwabara-sensei. She looked at us hard when we came into her office, asking us why we let Mitsu-chan went to school if he had a fever.

I helplessly said that we didn't notice. Because Taka-san last class was also Kuwabara-sensei's class, and I have no class that afternoon, she gave Taka-san permission to go early, and we went home.

When we did, we met Haru-chan who was on his way out to the pharmacy. Taka-san and I went straight to Mitsu-chan's room, and found Shu-chan sitting beside Mitsu-chan's bed with a wet towel and a bowl of ice water on the table.

I looked at Mitsu-chan who lay there peacefully; Shu-chan's fingers gently combing his messy hair (or massaging his head? I'm not sure).

"He's asleep," Shu-chan said softly, "the fever's quite high."

"Sonna…" Taka-san said, "He was still playing tennis with us yesterday. He taught Kaoru, remember?"

"Actually, he admitted that he's already not feeling well, " Oishi said from behind us, "This fever's probably started from before he came home after shopping. Remember? It was raining, and Kunimitsu confessed that he's already feeling sick that time."

Of course, when this piece of information came out at dinner, Momo felt guilty, and Momo, being Momo, apologized a thousand times over, making Kaoru grunted at him and Mitsu-chan chuckled in response.

"Not your fault, Momo, I'm the one who's stupid, not taking umbrella when I know it was going to rain," Mitsu had said. Momo was not convinced, but he felt better.

Come to think of it, it's probably…

"I'm sure Ochibi doesn't blame you, Momo."

If there's anyone in this world whose disapproval hurt Momo the most beside Mitsu-chan's, then it's Ochibi's.

"Demo…"

"You know how protective he can be when it comes to Mitsu-chan, Momo…" I said patiently, "Or did he say anything mean to you?"

"He didn't say anything, senpai…"

"So?"

"So… it makes me feel even more guilty!"

"Momo…" I sighed, "Ochibi's tired, and he went home to find his precious brother-captain bedridden yet again. Give him and yourself a break, won't you? He's not angry with you."

"It doesn't make me feel better, Eiji-senpai. And don't tell me to sleep, I can't."

"Maa… what about a game of tennis, then?"

"No, it's late…"

"Hn… why don't we play the games Yuudai-senpai lent us? There are plenty playstation games in that box, I'm sure."

Momo's eyes brightened, "That'll be okay, I guess. Any war games?"

"In the mood of killing someone, Momo?"

"Just myself."

"Okay then. I think we have some here..."

That's what I do. I bounce among people, amusing them, keeping their spirit high. After all, as Taka-san said once, I'm the one who's always in high spirit. So I have a responsibility to keep everyone in high spirit. After all, Kikumaru Eiji's the only one who can do that.

"I want to play this one!" Momo crowed, and I smiled.

"Sure, Momo, just not so loud, okay! The others need their beauty sleep."

Who cares if Momo and I have a morning class tomorrow? He feels too guilty to be able to sleep peacefully, and that'll make me unable to sleep, too.

"We really have to keep it down, though. Otherwise Mama Oishi will drag us to bed."

Heh. I think, even though I'm quite bouncy, I'm also quite bitter, ne?

"Plug the playstation, Momo."

Right.

TBC 

_Author's Note:_

_Thanks for reading. Here's the second part. Like I said, this story will continue quite slowly, but I still intend to make the POV from each regular and some others. R/R greatly appreciated!_

_THR_


	4. Chapter 4

_My first attempt in writing Prince of Tennis fic. Bear with me. I don't own Prince Of Tennis. I just like playing with the cuties. hehehehe_

**And We Continue On**

**Inui Sadaharu: Calculating Minds**

I walked by Eiji's room and heard laughter from inside. I carefully pressed my ear to the door and recognized Eiji and Momo's voices, along with some blasting sound that could only come from the newest House Of The Dead series Yuudai-buchou lent Eji a few days ago.

I shook my head and grinned a bit. Those two will be late for classes tomorrow, but I won't say anything about it. I have to say, I couldn't sleep either.

Shuichirou's room is still bright; I assumed he'd still be reading about Kunimitsu's new medicine. I myself had done so right after we got the medicine. It was good, better than the one we had before, but it has more sleeping potion induced in it, which in my opinion is good, 'coz sick people needs lot of sleep, but Kunimitsu can't use it if he has class.

Which reminds me, I have to talk to Shusuke about that killer lecturer.

I passed Ryoma's bedroom, and realized that the boy must be sleeping already. Oh, well, I'll talk to him tomorrow.

Taka's already asleep, too, so has Kaoru. Shusuke's still up and about downstairs, probably making some late night snack.

I stopped in front of Kunimitsu's room, carefully opened the door and tiptoed in. Our perpetual patient was asleep, his face a little flushed due to the fever. I reached out and smoothed his hair while judging his temperature. Still a bit warm.

Kunimitsu moaned and opened his eyes groggily, "Sadaharu…?"

"Just checking on you," I smiled, "Sorry if I wake you."

"Mm…" he shook his head slightly, "I just had a nice dream…"

"Oh?"

"Yeah… we're still at junior high, and we're playing at the court, only then Karupin came and Kaoru refused to practice with you so he can catch Karupin, and Ryoma got angry…"

I smirked, "You have weird mind, Kunimitsu. Sorry I cut the dream."

"S'okay. It's only a dream anyway."

I felt a pang of sadness spread in me as he closed his eyes.

"Get back to sleep," I said, "You need it."

"Mm… Oyasumi…"

"Oyasumi, Kunimitsu…"

I stayed for a while to make sure that Kunimitsu had fallen asleep again, then I went out as quietly as I could. As I made my way to my room, what Kunimitsu said tore at my heart.

"_S'okay. It's only a dream anyway."_

Yes. It's only a dream. The junior high days that we had didn't end beautifully. Our first year of senior high was hell.

We can't turn back time. But if we could, I'd go back to that day to stop the Tezuka family from going out.

But we can't.

I entered my room and closed the door behind me. The computer was blinking, indicating new message.

I walked over to it and clicked the mouse.

_To: TheDataMan_

_From: TheOtherDataMan  
CC:  
Subject: New Medicine_

_Sadaharu,_

_I've read your e-mail about Tezuka's new meds. It looks good, but it'll make him a li'l bit sleepier. But Oishi's right, it doesn't taste like Penal-tea._

_Heard boy wonder comes home today. Say hello to him. I might swing over in two days with the guys. Actually Kirihara asked us to go today, but I assumed Tezuka's not well enough to receive visitors, so Yukimura said we'd go in two days, if it's okay with you all._

_BTW, how's Tezuka? He is better, isn't he?_

_-Renji_

I smiled. How the other teams always managed to find out whenever Tezuka fell ill is probably because of our link to almost all other teams. Shusuke would most definitely contact Yuuta, who'd tell Mizuki and his team, who'd tell Kajimoto and his team. Shusuke would also contact Saeki, who'd tell his team. Momo would tell Ann, who'd tell her brother, who'd tell his team. Taka would tell Akutsu. I'd tell Renji, who'd tell Sanada and his team, who'd tell Atobe and his team. Ryoma would tell his year mates, Horio, Katsuo, Kachirou, Dan, and Kentarou. Dan would either contact Sengoku and his team or Akutsu. Kentarou would contact Saeki. The Kisarazu twins would find out from Yuuta or Saeki. Ryoga would know from Nanako-san, and he'd tell Kevin, who'd tell his team. Shusuke'd also tell Hanna-san. Nanjirou-san would tell Ryuzaki-sensei, or she'd find out from Sakuno, who'd find out from either Ryoma or our ichinen trio, who'd know from Momo or Kaoru. Sensei would tell Inoue-san, who'd tell Shiba-san.

Tezuka hates it when people fuss over him, but secretly, I think he loves it.

I turned on my IM and searched for Renji's ID. Before I found it, he'd already called me.

TheOtherDataMan: Hi!

TheDataMan: Hullo!

TheOtherDataMan: Not sleeping yet?

TheDataMan: Nope. Can't. Just checked on Kunimitsu.

TheOtherDataMan: How's he?

TheDataMan: Still feverish, a li'l bit of cough.

TheOtherDataMan: Running nose?

TheDataMan: Not really…

TheOtherDataMan: Any breathing problems?

TheDataMan: Yesterday. Haven't told Ryoma. Afraid he'd kill Momo.

TheOtherDataMan: Hooo…

TheDataMan: It's not his fault, yanno…

TheOtherDataMan: It's no one's fault but that reckless driver that night, Sadaharu.

TheDataMan: Yeah. I wish he's not dead…

TheOtherDataMan: Huh?

TheDataMan: So I can kill him many times over.

TheOtherDataMan: I think Fuji-aniki will beat you to that. Or boy wonder.

TheDataMan: Or Atobe.

TheOtherDataMan: Or Sanada.

TheDataMan: Yeah.

TheOtherDataMan: I might help.

TheDataMan: … (sweatdrop)

TheOtherDataMan: Heh…

TheDataMan: It's really sad…

TheOtherDataMan: What's sad?

TheDataMan: He woke up a bit when I checked on him. Said he had a dream.

TheOtherDataMan: Nightmare?

TheDataMan: No. A happy dream. We were still in junior high.

TheOtherDataMan: And?

TheDataMan: He's still playing.

TheOtherDataMan: Oh…

TheDataMan: Yeah. Oh.

TheOtherDataMan: He's still playing today, Sadaharu. Through Echizen.

TheDataMan: And through Eiji. Momo and Kaoru will also go pro.

TheOtherDataMan: You can, too.

TheDataMan: No. My role is as our pros' coach. As is his.

TheOtherDataMan: Satisfied with that?

TheDataMan: Yes.

TheOtherDataMan: … Then I won't ask anymore.

TheDataMan: … Sorry…

TheOtherDataMan: Heh.

TheDataMan: Why aren't you asleep?

TheOtherDataMan: Working on the project. It's due tomorrow.

TheDataMan: Oh… that project? I finished three days ago.

TheOtherDataMan: You don't sleep when Tezuka's ill.

TheDataMan: Yeah… might as well do something useful.

TheOtherDataMan: Is it okay if we come in two days?

TheDataMan: I'll ask Shusuke.

TheOtherDataMan: Why not ask Tezuka? He's the one who's sick.

TheDataMan: But our decision maker is easily Shusuke.

TheOtherDataMan: Not Echizen? Mama-Oishi?

TheDataMan: Shusuke overrules everyone, Renji…

TheOtherDataMan: … I guess… (shiver)

TheDataMan: ;-p

TheOtherDataMan: He still scares me.

TheDataMan: Who, Shusuke?

TheOtherDataMan: Yeah.

TheDataMan: Hehehehe…

TheOtherDataMan: Honestly, anyone who can digest your beverages is scary.

TheDataMan: Kunimitsu can.

TheOtherDataMan: He's scary, too. No wonder Seigaku's invincible.

TheDataMan: …

TheOtherDataMan: Sadaharu?

TheDataMan: Momo and Kaoru will graduate this school year.

TheOtherDataMan: Yeah. Means Echizen's alone again.

TheDataMan: Not really, Horio, Katsurou and Kachirou are still there.

TheOtherDataMan: Mm… :-) Rokkaku's Aoi and Yamabuki's Taichi too, right?

TheDataMan: Yeah…

TheOtherDataMan: You know, those two entered Seigaku…

TheDataMan: To catch on Echizen.

TheOtherDataMan: Mmm… Seigaku has good second years.

TheDataMan: Good first years, too.

TheOtherDataMan: Many were inspired by you guys.

TheDataMan: …

TheOtherDataMan: Heard the jr team's good, too.

TheDataMan: Yeah.

TheOtherDataMan: The captain now's the one Echizen chose at his captain time, ne?

TheDataMan: Yeah. Yoshiaki-kun. Takaya-kun's our sr first year now.

TheOtherDataMan: The younger pillars follow Echizen like puppies.

TheDataMan: Just like Ryoma follows Kunimitsu.

TheOtherDataMan: Seigaku has good pillars…

TheDataMan: Renji?

TheOtherDataMan: You're really like family.

TheDataMan: So are the other teams.

TheOtherDataMan: Different. We still keep in touch, but…

TheDataMan: But?

TheOtherDataMan: Not like you guys.

TheDataMan: Renji… we live together.

TheOtherDataMan: Yeah. I nv u.

TheDataMan: I swear it's a comic title.

TheOtherDataMan: It is. Kirihara reads it.

TheDataMan: You're kidding me.

TheOtherDataMan: Nope. The kid's manga-mania.

TheDataMan: … (sweatdrop)

TheOtherDataMan: Hehehehe…

TheDataMan: Do you wanna live here, too, Renji?

TheOtherDataMan: Nope. I'll be like an outsider.

TheDataMan: …

TheOtherDataMan: That's why Fuji-otouto stays in St. Rudolph, ne?

TheDataMan: Yeah… he said, it'll be something like…

TheOtherDataMan: A stranger?

TheDataMan: … What did we do that we seem to cast people out?

TheOtherDataMan: Nothing. You're just closely knitted, that's all.

TheDataMan: Come to think of it… Ryoga said the same thing.

TheOtherDataMan: If you're a book…

TheDataMan: Yes?

TheOtherDataMan: Your cover is the Seigaku Regulars name…

TheDataMan: But our binding is Kunimitsu, eh?

TheOtherDataMan: …

TheDataMan: He's a good captain…

TheOtherDataMan: So good that you'll all protect him with your lives?

TheDataMan: If it's a war, yes.

TheOtherDataMan: It's a war, Sadaharu…

TheDataMan: …

TheOtherDataMan: Everyday is a war for his life…

TheDataMan: …

TheOtherDataMan: Isn't it?

TheDataMan: …

TheOtherDataMan: …

TheDataMan: I think the others are trying not to know.

TheOtherDataMan: Or keep blind eyes on reality.

TheDataMan: How long can he keep this up, Renji?

TheOtherDataMan: …

TheDataMan: The meds helps, but the lungs itself…

TheOtherDataMan: …

TheDataMan: I'm not blind, nor deaf. I know it's beyond repair.

TheOtherDataMan: …

TheDataMan: He can stop breathing anytime…

TheOtherDataMan: Sadaharu…

TheDataMan: …

TheOtherDataMan: Are you crying?

TheDataMan: …

TheOtherDataMan: …

TheDataMan: You know me too well.

TheOtherDataMan: (sigh) I wish I could help.

TheDataMan: That's why we take chemistry, right?

TheOtherDataMan: And Mama-Oishi takes meds.

TheDataMan: I wonder…

TheOtherDataMan?

TheDataMan: What Kunimitsu would say if he read our logs.

TheOtherDataMan: …

TheDataMan: I think he'd be angry.

TheOtherDataMan: Or cry.

TheDataMan: …

TheOtherDataMan: He knows, Sadaharu.

TheDataMan: Yes. He knows. That's why he wanted to go to Germany again.

TheOtherDataMan: Last year, right?

TheDataMan: I think he tried to… make sure we're not going to lose him badly.

TheOtherDataMan: … baka Tezuka.

TheDataMan: If it wasn't for Sato-sensei who flat refused his plan…

TheOtherDataMan: That doctor's scary, too.

TheDataMan: …

TheOtherDataMan: Tezuka loves you all, Sadaharu.

TheDataMan: I know.

TheOtherDataMan: That's why…

TheDataMan: He doesn't want us to…

TheOtherDataMan: To feel what he felt when he lost his family?

TheDataMan: …

TheOtherDataMan: Sadaharu…

TheDataMan: …

TheOtherDataMan: You do realize that…

TheDataMan: It might only be a few years more?

TheOtherDataMan: …

TheDataMan: Yes.

TheOtherDataMan: …

TheDataMan: The others, though…

TheOtherDataMan: Fuji-aniki knows.

TheDataMan: Yes, so's Shuichirou.

TheOtherDataMan: The others?

TheDataMan: We know, Renji. In a way, we always know.

TheOtherDataMan: …

TheDataMan: We just can't accept it.

TheOtherDataMan: …

TheDataMan: We don't know how to.

TheOtherDataMan: …

TheDataMan: Kunimitsu seems to find his peace about it.

TheOtherDataMan: His only regret would be leaving you guys.

TheDataMan: Mm…

TheOtherDataMan: You know that.

TheDataMan: I feel that we're burdening him…

TheOtherDataMan: Hm?

TheDataMan: You know… Instead of supporting him…

TheOtherDataMan: It's your support that keeps him alive so far.

TheDataMan: But it won't keep him here forever.

TheOtherDataMan: No one lives forever, Sadaharu.

TheDataMan: I know.

TheOtherDataMan: I think he'd want all of you to carry on.

TheDataMan: Huh?

TheOtherDataMan: So he can live forever.

TheDataMan?

TheOtherDataMan: You're his legacy, Sadaharu. All of you.

TheDataMan: … I guess so…

TheOtherDataMan: …

TheDataMan: Damn, I love the guy.

TheOtherDataMan: …

TheDataMan: …

TheOtherDataMan: You have no idea how RIGHT and WRONG that is.

TheDataMan: … agreed…

TheOtherDataMan: …

TheDataMan: Forget I write it.

TheOtherDataMan: Can't. It's there.

TheDataMan: I don't mean it like that, you know.

TheOtherDataMan: Sadaharu…

TheDataMan: What?

TheOtherDataMan: …

TheDataMan: WHAT?

TheOtherDataMan: You don't have to explain things to me, yanno.

TheDataMan: Oh, right.

TheOtherDataMan: …

TheDataMan: …

TheOtherDataMan: It's late, Sadaharu.

TheDataMan: Yeah…

TheOtherDataMan: I'm sleeping now. Keep in touch, kay?

TheDataMan: I will. Oyasumi, Renji.

TheOtherDataMan: Oyasumi, and…

TheDataMan: Yes?

TheOtherDataMan: Stop blaming yourself.

TheDataMan: (sigh)

TheOtherDataMan: I mean it, Sadaharu.

TheDataMan: I know. I'll see you tomorrow.

TheOtherDataMan: Hai

I looked at the screen blankly as Renji signed off. I sighed, turn the computer on stand-by, and slipped off the chair. Turning off the lamp, I took my glasses of and put it beside the bed.

I fell unceremoniously onto my bed, burying my face on my pillows.

"This is stupid," I told myself.

But I couldn't help it.

Helplessness is not something I can get familiar with, and when my data can't predict what will happen…

"Que sera sera…" I sighed, closing my eyes to stop and escaping tear.

"What ever will be, will be… The future's not ours to see… Que sera sera… what will be, will be…"

I will never, ever, give up.

Come what may.

TBC 

_Author's Note:_

_Here's the fourth part. Thanks for reading. _

_The reviews warm my heart, THANK YOU._

_This story still continues quite slowly, and now I really intend to make the POV from each regular and some others. R/R greatly appreciated!_

_Concerning the names TAKAYA and YOSHIAKI… **Takaya** is Seigaku Jr.High Boy Tennis Club's captain after Ryoma (who got the captain position when he's in third class), and followed Ryoma to Seigaku Sr.High, thus making him a first grader, while Ryoma's in the second grade and Takeshi (and Kaoru) on the third. Kunimitsu, Shusuke, Sadaharu, Shuichirou, and Eiji are at the first year of university. **Yoshiaki** is the captain of Seigaku Jr.High Boy Tennis Club at the time this story happened, a third grader at Seigaku Jr.High and two years younger than Ryoma. He's the youngest pillar that Ryoma (and Takaya) chose. For their names… I think those who read my other stories might have got where the inspiration came form…_

_And, for reviewers, I'll try to attend every review personally, but if I missed some, I'm terribly sorry, as my internet connection is so damn slow, I need like ten minutes to upload a story._

_SANKYU!!!!!!_

_THR_


	5. Chapter 5

_My first attempt in writing Prince of Tennis fic. Bear with me. I don't own Prince Of Tennis. I just like playing with the cuties. hehehehe_

**And We Continue On**

**Kawamura Takashi**

"Hurry up! We're going to be late!"

"Ochibi!!! Are you going to school or not?!"

"Fssshhh… Noisy…."

"Where are my books?"

"Here you are!"

"My bento! My bento!"

"Late-late-late-late-late…"

"Sleepy…"

"No, you are not drinking coffee."

"Hurry up, or we'll miss the train!"

"Ready."

"Okay we're going bye."

"Take care of Kuni-chan!"

"Tell Mitsu-chan we've left!"

"I'll be home right after practice."

"Bye!"

"Bye-bye!"

"Ittekimasu!!!"

"Itterashai," I answered.

Looking at my friends, all running toward the nearby train station, I had to laugh. They all looked so frazzled. Then again, I guess none of us got enough sleep last night. I know I didn't.

Closing the door behind me, I went to the kitchen to clean up the mess there. Honestly, it's been years and we all still act like children.

The phone rang. I answered.

"Moshi-moshi, Tezuka residence."

"Takashi? It's Rinko," a voice I recognized as Ryoma's mother, said, "aren't you going to Todai today?"

"No. I don't have any class. I'm staying home until Shusuke came back from the photography seminar around noon."

"Is it okay? I can come there if you want…"

"No, Rinko-san, it's quite alright," I laughed, "Oyaji told me to come a bit later anyway. When I came to the restaurant last night, he was furious."

"Ha?"

"Well, he knew that Kunimitsu is sick, and that Ryoma came home last night. So he thought I should be here instead of the sushi shop."

"Ah. I see… Send my best regard to him, Takashi. He's helped us a lot."

"I will, Rinko-san."

"Well, then. I'll call again later. Bye"

"Bye, Rinko-san."

I hang up the phone with a smile on my face. She must be worried that we leave Kunimitsu alone in the house.

For some time, I moved about in the kitchen, cleaning up the mess my housemates made. Then I moved around the house, tidying things here and there. After I cleaned up the living room, I went up to the second floor where the rooms are located.

I stopped in front of Kunimitsu's door and opened it slowly. If he was still asleep, I didn't want to disturb him.

On the contrary, he was already awake, and was nibbling on the sandwich Shusuke had brought him before he went out.

"Morning, Kunimitsu."

"Oh, morning, Taka-san."

"Feeling better?"

Kunimitsu sneezed, "Not really, I feel like my head's still made of cotton."

"Well, Shuichirou said it's probably the medicine."

"Yeah. It tastes better yet it makes me so sleepy all the time…"

I laughed, "I thought you're grateful you don't have to drink that Inui-Jiru one."

"Yes, but I have to drink the new one three times a day, which means I'll be sleepy all day long."

Kunimitsu whining. That was something we never thought we'd see those years when we were in Junior High. After all, he's our magnificent captain. The Emperor of Seigaku. If anything, he didn't whine.

"Want any special menu today? I'll make it for you."

"Unacha?"

I thought so, "Okay. Unacha for lunch today, if you finish that sandwich."

Kunimitsu scowled.

"Ryoma made it, you know. He was sleepy and all, yet he still made breakfast for you."

"He shouldn't bother," Kunimitsu sighed, and continued eating the sandwich.

I've learned a lot about making Kunimitsu does things willingly from watching over Shusuke, Sadaharu, Ryoma, and Shuichirou all these years. My father also gave me a few tips regarding 'persuasion', as he calls it.

"Don't you have to go to the shop today?"

I shook my head, "Not until late afternoon. I'll wait for Shusuke first."

"It's okay to leave me alone for a few hours, you know. It's not like I'll drop dead when no one else's around."

I stiffened, but managed to hide it. Or at least I hope so.

"No, of course not, but I never get the chance of being mother-hen when the others are around."

"Leave that to Shuichirou, please."

I laughed, "Finish that sandwich, take the medicine, and you can watch the recording of Ryoma's final match and make revisions in that blue book of yours. Just don't tell Shusuke I let you."

Kunimitsu looked at me, smiled, and nodded.

I left his room.

Compromise is something I've learnt. When dealing with Kunimitsu, you simply have to know how to compromise. Or, in Sadaharu's words, the ways to make him obey us without loosing too much in return.

I went about the house again, cleaning what I hadn't, tidying up here and there while humming to myself.

At that moment, my cell phone rang, and I took it from my pants pocket, looking at the display.

Akutsu Jin.

I laughed a bit and picked it up.

"Yes, Kawamura speaking."

"I'm at your front door."

Then he hung up.

Again, I laughed. For all I know, he knows there's a doorbell, yet he chose to call my cell instead.

I went to open the door, and sure enough, Jin was there, standing gruffly with a parcel of fruits in his one hand and a big bento box in his other hand.

"Why didn't you just ring the bell?"

"I don't want to wake your captain in case he's still sleeping," he muttered.

I grinned.

As soon as he entered the house, he shoved the parcel and bento into my hands.

"Sengoku and Taichi wouldn't stop bothering me so I went with them and they bought these fruits. Then Mom found out that I was about to visit and made these healthy stuffs for your captain."

Gruff, yet sincere.

I took his gifts and laughingly invited him to the kitchen.

"It's very thoughtful of you guys, thank you. Oh… Yuki-san's special chicken soup and shrimp noodles! Kunimitsu's going to love this!"

"Sengoku wanted to buy banana but it's stupid," Jin admitted, "So Taichi set that parcel. I hope it's good."

I looked at the fruit parcel consisting of oranges, apples, grapes, and pears, and nodded, "I'll put this up in his room. If not, the others would surely finish it. Come to think of it…" I looked at him, "Why don't you give this to him yourself?"

"No."

I laughed, "Oh, c'mon, Jin! He doesn't bite, you know."

Jin looked away.

When I beckoned him to follow me, though, he did.

Silently, I hid a smile.

I knocked on the door but there was no answer. Frowning, I opened the door and took a peek.

Oh…

"If he's sleeping…" Jin said quietly from behind me.

"It's okay," I whispered, "Just stay quiet and we won't wake him."

I opened the door wider and tiptoed in with the fruit parcel in my hand. Jin stayed by the door, uncomfortably looking at Kunimitsu, who was asleep with the video turned on (sounds off, though). I deposited the parcel on the dresser and turned off the TV. I took one more look at Kunimitsu, out of habit, making sure that he's still breathing, and left the room with Jin following me.

"You once said he's a light sleeper," Jin said accusingly.

"He is," I answered, "but the new meds make him sleepier than the one he had before. It's okay, though, he's supposed to have a lot of rest anyway."

Jin grumbled something I couldn't quite hear.

"Do you mind staying for awhile?" I asked, knowing full well that he intended to walk me to the sushi shop, "Shusuke won't be back until sometime after noon, and I don't want to leave Kunimitsu alone."

"Whatever."

So we went to the kitchen again and I fixed us some coffee.

"How is he, really?"

I set the cups on the table and sat down, "He'll be fine, I'm sure. It's just the normal flu after all. He'd had worse."

I looked at him, and he slowly nodded.

Jin, no matter how he acted, really cared for Kunimitsu. He was there, that night, when The Tezuka family had the accident. He was the one who called the ambulance. He was the one who directed the people around to douse the fire from the burning car. He helped the people and the medical officers getting the victims to safety. It was only when they managed to pull Kunimitsu out of the wreckage that he realized whom he'd just safe.

From then on, through me, he'd kept Kunimitsu under his watchful eyes.

It was me who received the first news of the accident. I was managing the shop with my dad when the phone rang. My dad picked it up and called out to me.

"Takashi! It's your friend, Akutsu!"

I had frowned then. Jin almost never called me unless it's important.

I picked the phone up, and his voice, still as gruff as ever, was heavy and burdened.

"Your captain got a car accident. It's really bad, Kawamura. They're taking him to Mercy Hospital. Be there, quick."

And he hung up.

For awhile, I stood there, shocked and immobile, until my dad shook me out of my stupor. I managed to call Shusuke and Shuichirou, but then I was too stunned to do anything else. I was told to wait at the counter while my dad closed up and rushed the people out, and then he drove me to the hospital.

I met Jin on my way in, his white uniform darkened with soot and blood.

"I'm going home to change," he said, "your friends are in the waiting room. Keep in touch."

I fled to the waiting room and found Shusuke, Shuichirou, and Eiji there. Sadaharu came after me with Takeshi and Kaoru in tow.

Jin didn't come back to the hospital again that night, or the following days, but he kept on calling me, asking for new developments.

And it had been like that ever since.

Jin and I were friends, but we're not close. Truth be told, I was closer to his mother than to him. Since that day, he'd call me at least once a week, and he'd also make time to come to the sushi shop. Since that day, we became closer. I knew more of him, and he knew more of me. He's not a mere acquaintance anymore. Outside my regulars circle, he's my closest friend.

What actually boggles me up to now is actually…

"Jin… I've been meaning to ask you this for as long time…" I started to say, and stopped.

"Ask away," Jin nodded, nursing his cup of coffee.

"Well… I know you care a lot about Kunimitsu…" I said, "But you rarely see him when you came over, and as far as I know you never called him like Atobe does; you only check on him through me. If you're really that worried, why don't you try to get close to him like everyone did?"

Jin looked at me, "Because it's not like me?"

"Bullshit," I said, "I know you, Jin."

Jin lowered his head, looking at his coffee.

I waited.

"Maybe it's because whenever I see him lying down… I kept on seeing his blood."

I started.

"That night, Takashi… I only did what I could. I thought it would be bad if those people died, so I helped… I didn't think that when I pulled out someone out of the car, that person would be someone I recognized…"

He sighed.

"When I saw him the first time, I was awed by your captain. He has this formidable aura rolling off him. And the way he led you all… I have to say, he deserves my respect. That night, though, he's like a lifeless doll, bleeding all over, so pale and cold, barely breathing, so… not him…"

I knew that he was there, but I didn't know he was the one who actually excavated Kunimitsu out. I thought all that blood came after he recognized him.

"I was holding his hand the whole time they cut the car up, Takashi… The old man, his grandfather, was already dead, half broken on him. I felt his hand gripping mine, getting weaker and weaker… I shouted at him, telling him to hold on… not knowing who he was at that time, and went frantic when his hold loosened… And when they managed to cut the car and the firefighters got the old man out, I pulled him out… "

He shuddered, "I guess it shook me to the core. After that I thought he'd recover and everything would be back to normal, but he didn't… And whenever I see him, I kept on having this flashback of him dying in my arms… and I thought how you'd react, how Echizen would react, how Taichi would react…"

He looked up at me, "I guess I just don't want you to feel what I felt, that helplessness."

I smiled, remembering his choice of words whenever he asked of Kunimitsu.

_Hey, is your captain still breathing?_

Ryoma thought it was insulting. I guess, for Jin, that's exactly what he wanted to know.

"I see…" I nodded, "I thank you, Jin. If it weren't for you, we might've lost him that night."

"Ch… anyone else would've called ambulance, you know."

Gruff, antisocial, bad-mannered Akutsu Jin. How in the world did he become a part of us after that accident was a mystery, but at least a part of it became clear for me.

"And what about you?" he asked suddenly.

"Me?"

"Yeah. You looked… depressed."

I laughed, "Just a nightmare I had last night, that's all."

"Nightmare?"

"Yes, I didn't sleep much because of it," I nodded.

"Tell me."

I shook my head, "Oh, it's nothing important."

"It bothers you," Jin pointed out to me.

I bit my lip.

"Is it about your captain?"

Damn, he knew me well.

"Yeah," I nodded, "I dreamt that I was alone with him, you know, no one else in the house, I went to check on him, and his breathing is so shallow, as if almost stopped, and I was frantic… I called everyone but the phone was dead, I went out but the car's gone, no one was in the neighbourhood as I ran from house to house… and when I got back I found him not breathing anymore…"

I stopped, taking a sip of my coffee.

"I woke up crying, and I bolted to Kunimitsu's room and stayed there for awhile, looking at him, counting his breath, making sure that he's still alive but didn't dare to touch him for fear of waking him up…"

I shuddered.

"It was scary."

Jin nodded, "I bet. I had those dreams, too. That I was too late saving him."

"You did?!"

"Do, actually. Sometimes when it rains, especially whenever I know he's sick."

I couldn't say anything.

"There's no way I could erase all those blood from my hands, Takashi… it's as useless as what Mom did with the uniform I wore that night. She even tried to bleach it, but the stains stay. I ended up having to buy a new one."

I looked at him. He looked back at me calmly.

"But you're here, with him, living in the same house with your friends here, too. You give me the chance to know what's happening with him… You have the chance I don't, Takashi," he snorted, "Not that I want the chance to baby-sit him even if I can try…"

"But… in that dream, Jin… I was alone and so helpless…"

"You've undergone medical training, I know you all did," Jin said, "I also know you have complete medicines and medical stuffs in the cupboards at both ends of both floors, not to mention the kitchen, the bathrooms, and the bedrooms. If I were an outsider, I'd think you guys are too paranoid, but since I was there that night, I'd say nothing against it. I think, Takashi, what you truly fear is being alone when something happen to him."

I thought for awhile.

It's true, I guess… Whenever he got cold, whenever he had trouble breathing, it's never me who took the first actions. Even if I happened to be the nearest one at hand, I'd shouted for everyone else before I actually do anything. I panicked easily when it comes to him. I know his medicines, I know how to use oxycan, but never once had I need to help him with those, because Shusuke, Shuichirou, or Sadaharu would be there with me. I usually braced him upright on my chest or rushed to the kitchen to get water or make the calls if it's really bad.

Compared to me, Jin, who was actually there, witnessing the accident…

"I guess I'm just a coward," I grinned sheepishly.

"Everyone becomes weaker when it comes to the people they care for, someone once said…" Jin nodded, "But they can also become stronger than ever. The old Kawamura I know wouldn't even consider leaving his house and sushi shop. The old Kawamura even thought of not entering high school, right? You did, though, and look where it has gotten you. A student of Accounting Major, Economy Department of Tokyo Daigaku, and heir to Kawamura Sushi, who makes sushi as good as his dad."

I raked my hair sheepishly.

"I'm just glad my dad didn't yell at me when I asked him if I could move in with Kunimitsu…"

"He understands, Takashi. After all, you ran yourself ragged before, running around from school to Echizen's house to the sushi shop, then to this house, too… Your time in the shop is more timed and regular now than it was before when you kept on missing chores because you ran up about and everywhere else. If I'm not mistaken, he likes all Seigaku Regulars, too… If they're precious to you, then he'll help you guard them."

"Aa…" I smiled, "I think he will…"

"Go, Takashi," my dad had said, "Just consider it like living in a boarding house somewhere. Come back to help the shop in from time to time, but for now, concentrate on your education and friends… Don't let yourself have any regret."

"Yes… I don't want any regret… so I'll do what I can…" I whispered.

Jin looked at me, smirking, "That's more like it."

We talked some more, and before we knew it, it's noon, and I heard the front door opened.

"Tadaima!"

Shusuke's voice.

"Okaeri, Shusuke!"

TBC

_Author's Note:_

_Here's the fifth part after my very long hiatus. I apologize for the long wait for each and every fic I made. Thanks for still reading this. The reviews kept me writing, and writing Kawamura is HARD! It's easier to write Echizen._

_I have a confession to make. This is not supposed to be a series. I actually only wanted to write something about Echizen sitting by a sick buchou, but then it evolved, I thought, it'll be good if I can just add the others' POV and make a full fledge story out of this. I'm not sure when this story will actually finish, though, I mean… 9 Regulars, Ryuzaki-sensei, the 5 ichinen… not to mention the other guys from the other clubs, Atobe, Sanada, Tachibana, Ann… the reporters, Inoue, Shiba… then the families, Nanjiroh, Rinko, Nanako, Yumiko, Yuuta, Ryoga… Kevin, maybe? I even thought of trying Karupin…_

_This project is quite huge, come to think of it…For now, I'll just stick to finish the regulars and Ryuzaki Sensei, and try to stick whom I can into the fics (like what I did to Inui's and Kawamura's)._

_I'll see what I can do._

_And… as for WHY Tezuka is so damn WEAK, OOC, only appears for like a few sentences in every fic, and seems to be sleeping ALL THE TIME…_

_Um… my plot needed it? _

_Come to think of it… almost all of my stories involved sleeping/ unconscious/ in-coma characters…_

_I'm trying to make everyone as in character as possible… so sorry if I failed…_

_Oh, and the first fic (Echizen's POV) happened like around 10 P.M the first day, and this one is from morning to noon the second day. _

_For those who still stay and read this, for those who reviewed…_

_SANKYU!!!!!!_

_THR_


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